Ep. 190: Intersectional Story-Telling & Why Anger is Healthy with Author Sonora Reyes

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EQ: How do stories that center queer and Latinx identities challenge mainstream narratives in literature, and what role do they play in fostering greater understanding and representation across both young adult and adult genres?

In this episode of IWL, we are joined by author Sonora Reyes. Sonora is most known for their hit YA novels The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School and The Luis Ortega Survival Club. We get personal with Sonora about how their unique identities influence their stories and the importance of staying authentic when representing complex, intersectional characters.

We also talk about how queer and Latinx stories are reshaping mainstream narratives in literature—both in young adult and adult genres. Sonora shares their writing process, from balancing genres to what’s inspiring them right now, and how community plays a center role in their writing. We learn more (and geek out about) their upcoming Adult Romance novel The Broposal.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Sonora: Self-Care App: Finch

  • Hope/Annie: Please support Sonora’s work by purchasing and sharing their books (support your local bookstores!)

Ep. 186: Pumpkin Spice and Bookish Advice w/ Sweetpea Flaherty

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EQ: Which books should be on your fall reading list this year, and how do they reflect and respond to today's societal and current events?

Get ready to spice up your fall reading list with the one and only Sweetpea Flaherty from King’s Books in Tacoma! We’re talking seasonal book cravings, why non-fiction suddenly gets so popular, and the must-read sci-fi and speculative fiction that’s heating up the shelves. Plus, Sweetpea spills the tea (or should we say pumpkin spice latte?) on debut authors, hidden gems, and the best cookbooks and gift sets to grab this season. We’ll also chat about creating the coziest autumn reading nook and why it’s time to decolonize that bookshelf. Join us for laughs, book talk, and a few tips on getting seriously cozy this fall!

Poetry Recs:

  • Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology, Rigoberto González

  • Forest of Noise, Mosab Abu Toha

  • Blues in Stereo: The Early Works of Langston Hughes, Langston Hughes

  • What Remains: The Collected Poems of Hannah Arendt, Hannah Arendt

Food & Drink Recs:

  • Good Lookin' Cookin' : A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food, Dolly Parton, Rachel Parton George

  • Modern Navajo Kitchen : Homestyle Recipes that Celebrate the Flavors and Traditions of the Diné, Alana Yazzie

  • Wild Chocolate : Across the Americas in Search of Cacao's Soul, Rowan Jacobsen

  • Our South : Black Food Through My Lens, Ashleigh Shanti

Memoir/Biography Recs:

  • Survival Is a Promise : The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde, Alexis Pauline Gumbs

  • Thousand Threads : A Memoir, Neneh Cherry

Nonfiction Recs:

  • Turning to Stone : Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks, Marcia Bjornerud

  • Erasing History : How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future, Jason Stanley

  • Message, Ta-Nehisi Coates

  • Black Utopians : Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America, Aaron Robertson

  • Last Stand of the Raven Clan : A Story of Imperial Ambition, Native Resistance and How the Tlingit-Russian War Shaped a Continent, Gerald Easter, Mara Vorhees

  • Resist : How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America, Rita Omokha

  • Serviceberry : Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, Robin Wall Kimmerer

Fiction Recs:

  • She Who Knows, Nnedi Okorafor

  • Absolution, Jeff VanderMeer

  • Mighty Red, Lousie Erdrich

  • Model Home, Rivers Solomon

  • Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions, Nalo Hopkinson

  • City and Its Uncertain Walls, Haruki Murakami

Great Gifts:

  • Visualizing Palestine : A Chronicle of Colonialism and the Struggle for Liberation, Jessica Anderson, Aline Batarseh

  • On Freedom, Timothy Snyder

  • Modern Magic : Stories, Rituals, and Spells for Contemporary Witches,  Michelle Tea

  • Korean Feminist Artists : Confront and Deconstruct, Kim Hong-hee, Kim Hyesoon

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Annie: Perpetual advice: support your local bookstore. If you don’t have one, support King’s Books via online orders on their website, kingsbookstore.com

    • If you’re a busy reader and haven’t yet, consider starting  your own book list with a rating system. I’ve found that it helps me not only track the books I’ve read, but also making better recommendations for others. 

  • Hope: Another call to decolonize your bookshelf–just pick 1 outside your comfort zone.

  • Sweetpea: jump into a world you know nothing about!

Ep. 184: Hot & Steamy Summer Reads w/ Sweetpea Flaherty

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EQ: How do the themes of summer and romance intertwine to create compelling stories, and what makes these books perfect for the season?

In this episode, we explore the enchanting blend of summer and romance in literature with Sweetpea Flaherty, the owner of King's Books in Tacoma. Sweetpea, a veteran bookseller since 2000 and recipient of the 2019 Stella Cameron Bookseller of the Year Award, shares insights on how these themes create perfect seasonal reads. We delve into changes in publishing over the last five years, highlighting increased representation. Sweetpea also discusses "Rules for Readers," emphasizing the importance of enjoying your reading journey, whether that means not finishing unenjoyable books or reading non-linearly. Tune in for an engaging conversation on summer romance novels and practical reading tips. Visit kingsbookstore.com for more information.

Recommended Titles:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Annie: Bright Falls Series by Ashley Herring Blake - queer female romance, clever and funny, quick and easy reads with relatable, well-developed, and lovable characters. All stories center around the same small Oregon town and it’s got the You-Can-Go-Home-Again trope written all over it. Most anticipated LGBTQ Romances of 2024 

  • Hope: Try a new book this summer–push yourself out of your reading comfort zone

  • Sweet Pea: Considering what is happening in the world, seek out and read trans authors in every genre! sweetpea@kingsbooks.com; books@kingsbooks.com

Ep. 180: Read Less Basic--Nice White Ladies Abroad

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Our ongoing discussion revolves around Jessie Daniels' impactful book, "Nice White Ladies," published last spring. We previously interviewed Jessie Daniels in Ep 165 in November and featured in Ep 176: Read Less Basic Book Club with Annie Jansen, Chrisstina McDade, and Marco Manuel in April.

Given the richness of this book, we’ve brought in some incredible guests and longtime listeners to further challenge and expand our thinking, particularly weaving in perspectives as international teachers living outside of the West.. Joining us today is Crissy Calera, Christine Bates, and Adi Anicole.

Ep. 173: Perspectives From An American Librarian Abroad

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EQ: How can school libraries effectively promote diverse representation, particularly of Black voices and histories, fostering greater social awareness and inclusivity?

In today’s episode we are joined by teacher-librarian Osa Oyegun, the whole school librarian (PS-12) at the American International School of Abuja, Nigeria. We discuss the power of representation in literature, the attack on books and libraries in the US, and ways to grow partnerships between the library and the community. Not to mention, we all throw a few book recommendations your way! Check out her curated list of Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist Resources.
Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 167: Changing the Reading Landscape w/ Author Lily Chu

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EQ: How has the commitment to authenticity and intersectionality by  authors of color changed the writing landscape?

In this episode of IWL, we are joined by Lily Chu the author of The Stand-In (2022), The Comeback (2023), and The Takedown (2023). We chat about her identity as a writer, the role of representation in romance/chick lit and her zombie apocalypse team.  Pick up a copy of one of her books asap!

Champagne & Real Pain:

🥂Writers who use their platform to say something meaningful; My students Breast Cancer Awareness Event

🥂 Readers who pick up new books & expand their horizons

🥂College students who speak up about injustice and remind us to stay vigilant

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Hope: Of course–read The Stand In!

Lily: Read banned books!

Ep. 130: A Book Challenge in our Backyard

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EQ: How has anti-LGBTQ sentiment seeped in local school boards?

Hope is joined by guest Gavin Downing, a teacher-library in the Kent School district who recently experience a very intense effort by some community members to ban a young adult book, Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by L.C. Rosen. In this episode, we dig into the timeline of events, discuss the recent rise in book bans and how we can all be more proactive in our support of students’ rights to read diverse perspectives and experiences.

Related Links:

Do Your Fudging HW:

  • We can’t do this alone–reach out to SD, let them know/policies for district; shore them up BEFORE the challenge comes in; school board; public library

  • How folks can support you/prevent the banning of books in KSD or in their local districts

Ep. 100: A Centennial Celebration with Special Guest Author S.K. Ali

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EQ: How can we normalize the representation of Muslims in literature and support storytelling that tackles Islamophobia, increasing empathy across cultures and religions? 

For IWL’s special 100th episode Hope and Megan are joined by the very special guest, S.K. Ali. Ali is the author of Saints and Misfits, a 2018 William C.Morris award finalist, and Love from A to Z, an NBC Today Show’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club selection. During this episode they discuss the importance of representation of POC  in literature, specifically around Muslim characters. Ali shares about her journey to becoming an author and reflects on her intentionality of de-centering the white gaze in her writing. 

Author and books recommended in the episode:

  • Randa Abdel-Fattah - Does My Head Look Big in This?

  • G. Willow Wilson - Alif the Unseen

Related Links:

Do your fudging HW:

2019: Read, Listen, and Subscribe

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This is the time of year to make some resolutions, and hope for a stronger, brighter new year. It’s also prime time to renew your commitment to anti-racism and fighting injustices in the world.

We’ve compiled a list of our top books and podcast recommendations. This is not a comprehensive list but a great place to start 2019.

  1. Obvs, go read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. Go get a copy from King’s Books RIGHT NOW.  We know it’s the IWL book club text but it is required reading for anyone who claims to be a progressive white person. We’d love for you to share you insights, comments, or conundrums by tweeting with the hashtag #readlessbasic

  2. Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister. I drank the PSL latte when I listened to her interview on the Ezra Klein show “Women’s Rage is Transforming America”. You’ll find yourself “amening” immediately.

  3. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine. You might think you’re a woke white person, but this book (technically a book of poetry) will  remind you about why the intersections of oppression matter. If you’re white, take your time through each page. Give yourself space to consider what it’s like to be on the receiving end of racial microaggressions. Then, understand that your existence occurs 99.9?% of the time on the side of the aggressor. Cry a few tears and then resolve to stop perpetuating racism, sexism, and so on.

  4. Channel 253. Um, yo did you know there’s a network of fantastic podcasts RIGHT HERE IN TACOMA!!??? Let’s not pretend that Hope isn’t biased towards the @NerdFarmPod host. But, ALL the shows are worth your time. Also, become a subscribing member to the network. Just $4 a month!

From our listeners:

  • Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Hochschild. “In the realm of emotions, the Right felt like they were being treated as criminals and the liberals had the guns.”

  • How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. “This puts in words something that has been gnawing at the back of my brain. Periods of political polarization correspond with periods of racial progress. Also, it puts Trumpism in context with right wing movements around the world that I really appreciate.”

  • Our Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. “The cover is AHMAZING. The book focuses on radical acceptance of bodies--our own, others, all colors and abilities. It helps us think about what that acceptance looks like in action (and how self love is impossible without it).”

  • Why is This Happening with Chris Hayes. “Makes me realize how little I know about many topics I thought I had a decent grasp on.”

  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. “This book ignites the imagination and ties in with reality.”